Prince trust to help island young

The trust helps train and educate young people

A UK charity is launching in Guernsey with the aim of helping disadvantaged young people.

The Prince's Trust, which was set up in 1979 by the Prince of Wales, has a two-year plan to offer a programme to help underachieving 16 to 18-year-olds.

It hopes to offer young people the confidence, skills and further education to get into employment and make a difference in their lives.

The trust helped 37,900 young people across the British Isles in 2007.

About 79% of the people it helped were educational underachievers, and more than half were unemployed.

The trust is looking to set up in Guernsey with the help of staff at Specsavers.

Project member Tina Whittaker said the help that was being offered could range from giving youngsters help at school to teaching business skills.

She said: "It's to help young people gain confidence and even help stop them from going down roads that no-one would want them to go."